SYRACUSE
• Xavier Paul has opted out of his contract.
• RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx has been returned to Syracuse from the Harrisburg Senators
• OF Jesus Valdez promoted from Harrisburg
• SS Manny Mayorson promoted from Harrisburg• C Jeff Howell placed on the 7-Day DL

I’m not surprised at all about Paul’s decision to opt out. He had absolutely no chance of making the majors with the Nats. On the LH OF depth chart, he was at least 6th in line.

1. Harper
2. Ankiel
3. Bernadina
4. Tracy
5. Brown
6. Teahen/Paul

On top of that, management has prioritized RH batters to the detriment of better performing lefties (even with better platoon splits against LHPs). See Xavier Nady and Mark DeRosa.

There would have had to have been some sort of outrageous turn of events for Paul to even get close to Washington. Given his success in Syracuse, I wouldn’t be surprised to see if he immediately gets a shot with a club like the Dodgers, who are already quite familiar with him. At the very least some club with a dearth of LH bats and a clearer path to the majors will certainly snatch him up.

You’re not looking at from the correct perspective. It is a testament to Rahl that Nats management prefers and wants to see him as an everyday player as opposed to a bench backup. Valdez will backup starters Corey Brown and Erik Komatsu and Xavier Paul plus Teahen is out there when he isn’t playing in the infield.

With Teahen opting out perhaps they’ll promote Rahl? However, that would leave Harrisburg bereft of offense unless corresponding promotions ensue from Potomac.

Paul is the one who has opted out and become a free agent. Rahl should play every day in AAA. In 2010 while in the Diamondbacks organization he hit .291 while with Reno in the PCL in his first season of AAA. He also outperformed Komatsu while both played in Harrisburg.

I hope Josh Smoker didn’t spend much of his $1M signing bonus from 2007, because I don’t see him making much money in baseball beyond that. It seems like another message for Lucas Giolito. There is no guarantee that you continue to shine above your peers as you all develop over the next several years, so take the $2.8M dangled in front of you, and give it your best shot.

Is there any real reason to think that a high school player will develop better as a player in college than in the minor leagues? Is there possibly an advantage to keep learning against lesser competition?